Key-ring



(No Model L. M. DEVORE. KEY RING.

No. 461,326. Patented Oct. 13,1891.

.fitliaessea I Ivven/Zor Wd/M g i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI M. DEVORE, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

KEY-IRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,326, dated October 13, 1891.

I Application filed January 24, 1891. fierial No. 378,928. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to produce a key-ring that shall be more convenient in use, less liable to breakage or injurious distortion, and cheaperin manufacture than the rings ordinarily in use.

Figure 1 is a side view of the complete ring. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 shows the same seen from the left in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 show modified forms of the same invention.

The ring consists of asingle piece of springwire bent into approximately the form of the figure 8 and having its ends held in contact by the force of the wire. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the ends A A of the two branches of the wire are halved axially and overlapped, so as to form an apparently continuous rod. The overlapping is such that each branch after crossing the opposite branch between the two loops passes to the opposite side of that branch, each being sprung laterally at its middle by the opposite branch, which thus acts as a fulcrum. The elastic force thus developed holds the plane overlapped faces in contact. The terminal end faces of the two branches are shown as perpendicular to the axis; but they may be of any desired form. They are held in contact with the corresponding shoulders made by halving by the elastic force of each branch acting in its own plane, theybeing so formed that they naturally'tend to overlap to a greater extent than the shoulders permit. Now when a key is to be passed in either direction the branches are separated until their ends can pass and are then released, when they assume the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. They then easily separate laterally to allow the key to pass into the first loop, and in order that the key itself may separate them their ends may be rounded,

as shown in Fig. 7. In passing keys, preferably the small ones, to the second loop, each key separates the parts in like manner, owing to the general form and without special provision for such result. When the keys are all in place, the ends of the wire are sprung back into their original position,when the keys are securely locked in the respective loops.

In the common split ring to insert a key the parts must be wedged apart by the nail or otherwise. The perfectly-closed ring is difficult to make,and the separation of the parts for inserting the key soon produces permanent set,'s0 that small keys work between the parts and are often wholly detached and lost as the keys are drawn from the pocket. With this construction all such Wedging is done away with. The doubled length of the springing parts makes set much less likely, and even if it occurs the result is to increase the secur ity instead of to ruin the ring, for each branch in closing springs upon the other as a fulcrum, and permanent set onlyincreases the distance through which they must be sprung. The ring is also easily made, and its strength is three times that of the split wire of the same diameter. It has further advantages, in that separation of large and small keys upon two connectedrings that cannot fold upon each other is a convenience, and in that the keys, when there are many, do not have the same tendency to assume a radial position but overlap and lie closely upon each other in the hand.

The modification of Fig. 4 consists in pointing one branch and inserting itin a socket formed upon the end of the other, and that of Fig. 5 in keeping each branch upon the same side of the other throughout. The former change sacrifices little except in the matter of cheapness. The latter makes the ring inferior though still better in every respect than the ordinary ring.

Fig. 6 shows the ends provided with the common knobs and not interlocked. This form obviously retains many of the advantages of the primary form, but loses others. Aside from the other advantages of form in this case the distribution of the springing through a doubled length of wire prevents the set occurring in single rings having like ends.

I have also made the ring with the ends halved together, crossed, and bent within the general circle, as at B, Fig. 1, and in this or any of the halved forms itis advantageous to formla lug 0, Figs. 1 and 3, upon one of theive crossings and both branches terminating slightly beyond the last crossing.

2. The key-ring consisting of a single springwire bent in 8-1ike form and having its branches oppositely crossed at the middle and ends, said ends being halved together and roundedinward to the halving plane upon their outer sides, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEVI M. DEVORE.

WVitnc-sses:

M. STOSKOPF,

LEONARD STORDOPF. 

